Change-speed gear for automobiles and the like



July 12.1927.'

y H. voN DoEMmNG 'CHANGE SPEED GEAR FOR AUTOIBIIJESv AND THE LIKE Filed May 28, 1925 2 Sheets-Shoot 1 ATTORNEY July 12 1927" H. voN DOEMMING 635 296 emmen SPEED GEAR Fon AUTOMOBILES, AND THE una Filed May ze. 1925 2 shuts-sheet. 2

v INVENTOR I 5 y /o rm E'lfmnty BML,

\ ATTORNEY said bracket 6.and is provided with a groove.

Patented July 12, 1927.

UNITED tsTATas PATENT OFFICE.

HUGO von DOEMMING; Vor fHiLnnsHEIM,l eRMANY.

-CHANGE-SPEED GEAR FOB AUTMOBILES AND VTHE LIKE.

Application mea my 28,1925. semi No. 33,541.

My invention relates to change speed gears for use on automobiles, and the like. The object of my invention is to produce a change speed gear, which is operated fromthe steer,- ing column, and which is so .designed that the changes are easily and positively e'ect-- ed. The change speed gear accordingto my invention is simplea'nd compact in construe'- tion and includes means,-whereby'the changey from\ one speed to.. another is lnoiselessly effected and without any danger of damage tov the gear wheels. Y

In the accompanyingk drawing, in

I have shown miv-invention, by way of illustration, Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation ofthe change speed gear and associated parts, Fig. 2 a similar view as Fig. 1{showingl certain parts of the gear in a different position, Fig. 3 a detail view-of a portion of the gear ink section along line 3-,3in Fig. 1,'but drawn to a larger scale,I F ig., 4 a to-p plan view,

partly in section, Fig.v 5.a detail view showing the shape yofthe internal teeth used inmy gear, Fig.,6ta.top View of thefsteering wheel at the head ofthe steering column, Fig.7 a section alon line 7-7 lin Fi 1 and Fig.A 8 a section a ong line 88in ig. 1, drawn to a larger scale.

The shaft indicated at 1 in Fig. 1 and coupled in the usual-manner bythe'conical friction coupling 2 with the engine shaft 3 carries at its rear end the toothed bevel ear wheel 4,which is lin mesh witha toothed evel gear wheel 5 rotatably mounted on the bracket 6. Slidingly connectedwiththe bevel wheel 5 and passing centrally there-rk through yis a shaft 7 jwhichis guided in. the

8 adapted to receive a pin vprojecting from the hub of the bevel-wheel 5,k thereby. rotatably connecting the latter and the shaft 7. The latter carrying a toothed wheel 12 is rotatably journalled in a sleeveA 9,;,whichis connected with vthe shaft 7 through a pinl chain 2() -is coupled with a larger sprocket- .;13and atthe other end in a bearinglS. vAt this latter end, the shaft 16 Acarries a small 'sprocket wheel 19,'r which through a sprocket wheel 21 on a stub-shaft 22 mounted in bearing 23. Y Both thevbearing 18 and the bearing23v are sup orted by the longitudinal The stub-shaft 22 carries at its free `end a toothed Lbevel ,wheel 25 in mesh with a larger bevel wheel 26 mounted at the lower end of a spindle member 24.701: t e chassis.

27 n enclosed in the steering column 28, v -To j the upper end ofspindle r27 is secured a lever arm 29 (Fig. 6) whereby the spindle 27 may be turned about ,itslongitudinal axis to rotate the toothed bevelv wheel 26 in either direction, which rotation, sprocket-wheel `21, chain 20,and sprocketwheel 19 istransmitted to the'shaft 16 and through the i.

thereby tothe spur-wheel 1,5 which, las clearly shown'in Figs. 1 and 2, engages therack- ,Y

teeth on the underside of sleeve 9, so lthat upon the rotation of thewheel 15, -the said sleeve and together with it theshaft 7, ro-

tatably journalled in the sleeve, are lon i- ,n

vtudinally moved forwards or backwards l e.-

pending on the direction of rotation of the wheel 15. The sleeve 9 ,is held against rotation within the tubular extension 52 by a key and `groove arrangement 30 shown` in Fig. 7. In the gear casing 13 there isrofi tatably journalled onl ball-bearings 31 a fun-l neleshaped hollow member 32 provided with four sets of internal toothed gears 33,y 34, 35, 36 cut into the inner wall of thevfunnel 32. The hub 37 of the funnel 32, is secured Ato the; Cardan shaft 3,8 leading" `to the dif- The internal ferential gear (not shown). gears 33, 34, 35 correspond to the different speed ratiosihigh, intermediate and low speed, whereas the internal gear 36 is for re.`

verse. .It is obvious that when the shaft 7,

ltogether with sleeve 9 .is moved longitudinallygwithiny the vtubular extension l52 towards 'the'left in Figs. 1 and 2, the toothed wheel 12 at the end of shaft 7 is successively` broughtpin mesh first with the internal gear p' 35V (low speed), then with the internal gear 34:y (intermediate speed) and finally with the internal gear 33 (high speed), which latter position isshown in Fig. 2, whereas in the position shown in Fig. 1 the entire gear is in reverse. According to Fig. 1, there are mounted on a stub-shaft 39 (shown in Fig. 3) two toothed idler wheels 40, 41, the wheel 40 lbeing in mesh with the internal gear 36.

When the shaft 47 has been moved to its kextreme end position, shown in Fig. v"1,fthetoothed Wheel 12 will be in engagement with the toothed wheel 41, and by transmitting its rotation thereto and to the wheel '40con`n`ected therewith will rotate the :tunnelV 32, and

thereby the shaft 38 in an anti-clockwise direction. The gear, thereiorefis knowin re#V verse. y

As shown in Figjl, two teeth of the-internalgears 33, 34`and likewise'two teeth ofthe internalv gears 34, 35, are 'connectedon op posite sides ofthe funnel 32`byelongated intermediate kteeth 42 land 43 respectively, two such teeth only `being" visible-'in Fig.-y 1.

Inthis way, thetoothedl wheel 12 will be v caused to slide noiseless'ly from oneoff the said internal gears into the other and with-- outv lany danger of damage to the gears.' When the toothed wheel 12 occupies *the-posi; and '35,V

vided 4with notches 46, 47, 48, 49, and 50 cor-v responding to 'the Vvarious ypositions of the change speed gear: "With "these notches there.

cooperates a pointer 51 on the 'lever arm 29. In the-position shown in Fig. 6, -in which the pointer :51 is opposite notch 46,the change speed gear is in reverse, whereasthe notches 47,48, 49 and 50 respectively represent-n'eu' tral, `tirst, second and third speed.

I wish itto 4be `understood that I.: am lnot limiting myself to the 'construct'ionand the details as shown, -s'in'ceobviously' many-,modi-y icaftionsg'can bemade withoutdeparture -from the gist 'of -my invention.

Iclaim:` 1

1'. In a change-speed gear 'ifor automobiles;

and rthe like,1th`e combination v'witlrthe 'steering column,-the driving sha-ft, the driven shaftgand bearingsfior "the 'said shafts,- of' a conical fhollow Imember' secured to the said drivenshaft and having ia series of' internal gears 'of progressively increasing diameter cut therein,-a casing enclosing-thesaid holf" low memberand having-"a tubular extension, a longitudinally rmovable shaft frotatably;

journalled in 'said extension, -meansft'or longitudinally moving "the" said *last-named shaft, atoothed wheelV carried' thereby-adapted to Ymesh with any of thes'aid internal gears, a means intermediate thesaid driving and longitudinally movable shafts 'for rotating the latter, a means positively operated fromthe said steering ycolumn for causing thelongitudinal to and iro movements of l the said mevableshagtingan idler. gear in mesh with one of the said internal gears t o reverse the rotation .ozt' the said conical member, a non-rotatable sleeve slidably arranged in the said 'tubular extension and enclosing Ithe said movable shaftbeing operativelyconnectedtherewith, the said s-leeve Vhaving rack-teeth provided lthereoI-n'apinion in imesh with the Y `said -rack'teeth, and a transverse-shaftcarry-A ingfthe said pinion.

and the like, the combination Ywith the steer- -A 2.v v In a :change-speed :gea-r, for automobiles,-

-ing column, thedrivingshaftand the driven shaft, and bearings therefor, of a. conical hollow member secured Eto :the said driven shaft and having a series of interna-l gears of i progressively --ilncreasing Vdiameter cut there# infacasing Aenclosing the said-:member :and

-havi'nga tubular extension, a sleeve islidably arranged in lthesaid-fextension being 4prevented-from -rota-tion* therein and having rack teeth thereon,l a rotatable shaft in said lsleeve vbeing Aoperative'ly'connected therewith,

7a. toothed wheel on the said shaitadapted A to mesh with any of the said .internalgears,A a means between the saiddrivm'grand 'rotate I able shatsltor'rotating Ythe latter, a pinion in mesh withthe's'aid rack teeth, .a rotatable transverse shaft carrying the saidlpinionfa ing column, a' lever ,arm on the projecting vupper end of the said:spindle,lbearings Afor the said spindle,- =means intermediate "the said rotatable spindlefand the said ltransverse former to 'the latter, a rotatableidler lgear linconsta-nt mesh with theila'rge's't of .the internal gears, a sector provided onthesaid "steering' column and having notches therein corresponding kto the various positions oi the said toothed wheel relative =to Vthe internalvl -fgears'in the 'saidvconical 1 member, and .a

`'rotatable spindle enclosed :in the-said Jsteer-l shaft-'for transmittingI the' rotationaofthe pointer on thesaid lever armadapted to cooperate with thesaid notches.l V- i 3. The combinationas speciiied in claim f2, f

comprising va ball-bearing between the inner' rend of the-said casing and the-widest portion -o the said conical member, the saileasing` #having ay cylindrical-extension forming bearing for the inner endof `the saidrdriven Y shaft. Y I I Y .l In testimony whereof I 'atiiX .my signature. Y

. HUGOvoN'DQEMMIFNG. v f 

